Little Red Writing

by Joan Holub, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Overview

Acclaimed writer Joan Holub and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet team up in this hilarious and exuberant retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, in which a brave, little red pencil finds her way through the many perils of writing a story, faces a ravenous pencil sharpener (the Wolf 3000)... and saves the day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811878692
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	09/24/2013
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 10.04(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	AD740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joan Holub has hundreds of pencils. Some are red. Others are glittery, sporty, or full of holiday cheer. They are all super sharp and good at writing books. They've helped Joan write more than 130 books, including Zero the Hero and Knuckleheads. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Melissa Sweet has illustrated nearly 100 children's books, including the Caldecott Honor–winning River of Words and the Sibert Medal–winning Balloons Over Broadway. When not in her studio, Melissa loves to ride her bicycle and hike with her two dogs, Rufus and Nellie. She lives in Rockport, Maine.

Editorial Reviews

"Every elementary teacher should have this book to begin their writing units."— Play on Words

"What a CLEVER, CLEVER story!"— I Love to Read and Write Reviews

"What a CLEVER, CLEVER story!"— I Love to Read and Write Reviews

"An easy, winning prompt for beginning writers to abandon their fears and take up pencils of their own."-Booklist

"An easy, winning prompt for beginning writers to abandon their fears and take up pencils of their own."-Booklist

"Every writers' group should start with this story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A very funny picture book that, I guarantee you, lots of savvy teachers will be eagerly sharing with students as part of the process of teaching creative writing." - Richie Partington MLIS, Richie's Picks

Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2013

Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2013

"Full of fun and information. Teachers and aspiring young writers will embrace this lively story."-The Horn Book Magazine

"Full of fun and information. Teachers and aspiring young writers will embrace this lively story."-The Horn Book Magazine

"Full of fun and information. Teachers and aspiring young writers will embrace this lively story."-The Horn Book Magazine

"Packs several grammar lessons into a story borrowed heavily from Little Red Riding Hood."—Cool Mom Picks

"Packs several grammar lessons into a story borrowed heavily from Little Red Riding Hood."—Cool Mom Picks

"Packs several grammar lessons into a story borrowed heavily from Little Red Riding Hood."—Cool Mom Picks

"Every elementary teacher should have this book to begin their writing units."— Play on Words

"Every elementary teacher should have this book to begin their writing units."— Play on Words

"What a CLEVER, CLEVER story!"— I Love to Read and Write Reviews

"An easy, winning prompt for beginning writers to abandon their fears and take up pencils of their own."-Booklist

"Every writers' group should start with this story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Every writers' group should start with this story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A very funny picture book that, I guarantee you, lots of savvy teachers will be eagerly sharing with students as part of the process of teaching creative writing." - Richie Partington MLIS, Richie's Picks

"A very funny picture book that, I guarantee you, lots of savvy teachers will be eagerly sharing with students as part of the process of teaching creative writing." - Richie Partington MLIS, Richie's Picks

Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2013

"Style, humor, and solid writing advice."-Publishers Weekly, starred review

"So rich in words and wry humor-written and visual-that one reading just isn't enough."-School Library Journal, starred review

"So rich in words and wry humor-written and visual-that one reading just isn't enough."-School Library Journal, starred review

"This clever adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood has so many levels of creativity and learning... Every elementary teacher should have this book to begin their writing units."—Play on Words

From the Publisher

★ 2013-08-15
Exploding with puns, wordplay and the irrepressible desire to re-imagine "Little Red Riding Hood" one more time, Holub and Sweet bring forth some actual useful writing advice--that's not just for beginners. It's Write On! Day at the Pencilvania School, and all the little pencils and their teacher, Ms. 2, are about to follow the story path. Ms. 2 gives our heroine, Little Red, a basket of nouns and reminds her to stick to the path. She becomes entangled in descriptive adjectives, stuck in a sentence that just keeps going, and is rescued and then ambushed by adverbs and random nouns. Principal Granny seems to have a long electric tail and a growly voice when Little Red gets to her office. It's not the principal but the Wolf 3000--a voracious pencil sharpener! But Little Red has one noun left, and she uses it judiciously. Watercolor, pencil and collage give the magnificent Sweet lots of material to play with: The little pencil-pupils each have an identifying eraser cap (a stegosaurus, a basketball, a map of Pencilvania). When Little Red looks for excitement in her story, she goes to the gym and is "quickly drawn into the action," as all the pencils twist, jump and play catch on the page. The artwork--which integrates written text in a variety of lettering styles--fills the pages with a riot of color, shape, movement and design. Endpapers and title pages are all part of the tale. Little kids should love the illustrations and their multiplicity of meanings, and older children trying out their writing wings will find good, strong advice. Every writers' group should start with this story. (Picture book. 7 & up)

Kirkus Reviews